Rail anchor



Dec. 15 1925- 1,565,534

D. F. VAUGHAN 1mg ANCHOR Filed July 10. 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 IN VEN TOR Jar/id]? Vau giuzru A TTQRN Y Dec. 15, 1925. I 1,565,534

i D. F. VAUGHAN RAIL ANCHOR Filed July 10, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

ATTOR v Patented Dec. 15, 19 25.

PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID F. VAUGHAN, or RIvEn'roN, NEW JERSEY.

Rein ANCHOR.

Apphcation filed July 10, 1924. Serial No. 725,093.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, DAVID F. VAUGHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at ltiverton, in the county of Burlington and Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Anchors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rail anchors for preventing the longitudinal displacement or creeping of railroad rails over the parts which support them.

The object of the invention is to provide a rail anchor of novel, simple and eflicient construction which may be made at a minimum cost of material and labor and which comprises a bar having rail base engaging parts on the respectiveend portions thereof sorelatively arranged that when the anchor is applied to a rail base, with the bar of the anchor extending diagonally beneath the rail base, the resiliency or elasticity of the parts of the anchor will hold the parts firmly in gripping position, and so that, when one end portion of the.bar is opposed, the forces which tend to cause the rail tov creep will tend to move the bar from its diagonal position toward a position normal to the length of the rail and thereby cause the rail gripping parts to increase their grip upon the rail. Qther novel features and advantages gained thereby will be hereinafter. described.

The invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinaiter described in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating; the invention,

Figure 1 is a top view of a portion of a railroad rail, partly broken away, a tieplate, a cross-tie and a rail anchor embodying my invention applied to the rail.

Figure 2 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 2 as seen from the right hand side thereof.

Figures 4 and 5 are top views of a railroad rail with the head thereof removed and the rail web shown in section, showing differentv positions of the rail anchor relatively to the rail base during the application of the anchor to the rail.

Figure 6 is a top view of the rail anchor removed from the rail.

Figure 7 is a view of a flat bar showing by dotted lines thereon the manner in which the bar may be cut into blanks from which the anchor shown in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive may be formed;

Figure 8is a top view of a modified form of the anchor.

Figures 9 and 10 are top and side views, respectively, of another modified form of the anchor.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates a railroad cross-tie, '3 a tie-plate. supported upon the. cross-tie 2, and 4 a railroad rail having a base 5 resting upon the tie-plate 3. Therail d and plate 3 are held down upon the tie 2 by spikes 6 driven into the tie 2 through spike holesin the plate 3 and preventing displacen'ient of the plate relatively to the tie. These parts are of well known construction and no detailed description thereof is deemed necessary herein.

My improved rail anchor 7 is formed of a single pieceor bar of steel or other suitable metal, beingby preference formed of a flat steel bar bent into the form shown in the drawings;

The anchor? thusformed comprises a bar 8 adapted to extend horizontally beneath a rail base, parts 9 and 10 projecting up wardly from the respective end portions of the bar 8 and adaptedto occupy positions In forming the anchor, as just described, the 1 end portions of the blank are bent on substantially parallel lines which extend diagonally across the bar 8 so that the inner sur face 12 of the part '10 forms an obtuse angle with the longitudinal side 13 of the bar 8 and an acute angle with the longitudinal side 14: of the bar 8, and so that theinner surface 15 of the part 9 is substantially parallel with the surface 12 and forms an obtuse angle with the longitudinal side 14: of the bar 8 and an acute angle with the longi tudinal side 13 of the bar 8, as clearly shown in the drawings.

The edge portions or bearings 16 and 17 of the parts 9 and 10 forming the obtuse angles at the junctions of the surfaces 12 and 15 and the sides 13 and 14 of the bar 8, respectively, constitute rail base engaging edges or surfaces which rise directly from the longitudinal sides 14 and 13, respectively, of the bar 8.

The part or arm 11, excepting as shown in Fig. 8, is made tapering toward its free end and it is bent laterally or edgewise to some extent so that its free end will extend laterally beyond a position directly over the bar 8, as clearly shown in the drawings, for a purpose hereinafter described.

The distance between the surfaces 12 and 15 of the parts 10 and 9, respectively, and the distance between the rail engaging bearings 16 and 17 are each slightly in excess of the distance between the side edges of the rail base to which the anchor is applied. Also the space between the plane of the up per surface of the bar 8 and the bottom of the free end of the arm 11, in the normal condition of the anchor, is less than the thickness of the rail base directly beneath the free end of the arm 11 when the anchor is in its final position upon the rail base, so that the free end of the arm ll'will be sprung upwardly from the bar 8 when the anchor is applied to the rail, as will be presently described.

In applying the anchor 7 to the rail 1, the bar 8 is first placed diagonally beneath the rail base in the position shown in Fig. 5 with the free end of the arm 11 extending over one side of the rail base 5 and engaging the top thereof and with the bar 8 extending beneath the rail base with the top of the part 9 and the top of a part of the bar 8 below the arm 11 engaging the bottom of the rail base. The anchor 7 is then driven in the direction of the arrow 18 by blows struck against the end of the bar carrying the part 10 until the anchor occupies the position shown in Fig. 4; and, during this operation, the bar 8 and arm 11 are sprung apart, within the elastic limits of the metal forming the anchor, as the free end of the arm 11 moves up the inclined top of the rail base 5, until the inner surface 15 of the part 9 clears the side edge'19 of the rail base 5, whereupon the end portion of the bar 8 carrying the part 9 snaps upwardly against the bottom of the railbase and brings the part 9 up into a position adjacent to and outwardly of the side edge 19 of the rail base, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 1.

The parts of the anchor other than the part 9 thereof, in tending to resume their normal condition, both during and after the application of the anchor to the rail, cause the upward springing of the bar 8 when the'part 9 clears the edge 19 of the rail base, and, thereafter hold the anchor firmly in engagement with the rail base by downward pressure of the arm 11 upon the top of the rail base 5 and upward pressure. of the bar 8 against the bottom of the rail base.

The anchor is driven on to the rail base as shown in Fig. 4t, in a position close to but conveniently spaced from the tie 2 and plate 3; and, in this position of the anchor 7, the rail engaging corners 16 and 17 are oppo site to one another on a line which extends normal to the length of the rail.

After the anchor is thus driven on to the rail base in the position shown in Fig. 4:, both end portions of the bar 8 are driven toward the tie-plate 3, maintaining the bar 8 substantially in the same diagonal position beneath the rail, as shown in Fig. 4, until the end portion of the bar 8 carrying the part 10 abuts against the tie-plate 3. lhe end portion of the bar 8 carrying the part 9 is then driven toward the tie-plate, thereby driving the bar 8 toward a position normal to the length of the rail and thus moving the rail engaging bearings 16 and 17 of the parts 9 and 10 inwardly with relation to the rail and causing them to bind against and firmly grip the side edges 19 and 20 of the rail base 5. After the bearings 16 and 17 have thus gripped the rail base 5, the bar 8 is still in a diagonal position with the end portion thereof carrying the part 9 spaced from the tie-plate 3. It will thus be understood that the rail 4 will be prevented from creeping in the direction of the arrow 21 in Fig. 1 by the engagement of the bar 8 with the tie-plate 3, and that the forces tending to cause the rail to creep will tend to move the end portion of the bar 8 carrying the part 9 toward the tie-plate 3 and thus tend to move the bar from the diagonal position beneath the rail base, as shown in Fig. 1, toward a position normal to the length of the rail and thereby cause the bearings 16 and 1? of the rail gripping parts 9 and 10, respectively, to increase their gripping action against the side edges of the rail base.

The tapering of the arm 11 toward its free end reduces the cross-sectional area of the bar from which the anchor is formed and causes the arm 11 to take more of the spring action, than the part 10 and bar 8 in holding the anchor firmly in engagement with the rail base; and the location of the free end of the arm 11 laterally of a position directly over the bar 8 causes a twisting spring action in the arm 11 and bar 8 and relieves the rail gripping bearing 17 from elastic strain and leaves it free to take the full load of anticreeping strain.

An important advantage in using a fiat bar with its broad surfaces in horizontal position and in tapering the arm 11 is that sufficient elasticity is provided in the anchor to permit the rail gripping part 9 to be extended above the bar 8 a considerable distance to provide a relatively high gripping corner 16 for the rail base without straining the anchor beyond its elastic limit when it is applied to the rail base. I

The arrangement of the rail gripping cor ners 16 and 17 so that they rise directly from the longitudinal sides of the bar 8 and engage the rail base edges in close relation to g the barS makes it substantially impossible to separate the bearings 16 and 17 by the springing or bending of. any parts of the anchor connecting the rail base engaging parts 9 and 10 with the bar 8 when the anchor is in service and thereby provides a strong and durable structure.

In the modification shown in-Fig. 8, an arm 21 is provided in lieu of the arm 11, the ar1n 21 being of the same cross-sectional area throughout its length and of the same cross sectional area of the bar 8.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10, I have shown the end portion of the ba 8 carrying the rail gripping part 10 provided with a downwardly turned lug or abutment 22 adapted to engage a cross-tieto prevent the rail from creeping instead of having the bar 8 engage a tie-plate.

In Fig. 7, I have shown a strip of fiat steel, and indicated by dotted lines thereon the manner in which it may be cut to form blanks from which the anchor shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, may be formed without any waste o material.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a railroad rail andastationary element of a road bed supporting the same, of a rail anchor comprising a bar extending horizontally and diagonally beneath the rail base with one end portion of the bar nearer to said element than the other end portion thereof, a part projecting upwardly from the end portion of the bar farthest from said element and having a bearing rising from the longitudinal side of the bar nearest to said element and adapted to engage one side of the rail base, a part projecting upwardly from the end portion of the bar nearest to said element and having a bearing rising from the longitudinal side of the bar farthest from sald element and adapted to engage the opposite side of the rail base, and means to hold the anchor in engagement with the rail, the parts be1ng so relatively arranged that when the rail creeps'it will engage the bar with said element and tend to move it from its diagonal position toward a position normal to the length of the rail and thereby hind against and other end portion thereof and having its end portions bent upwardly forming rail engaging parts, each longitudinal side of the bar forming an obtuse angle with the edge portion of one of said parts and an acute angle with the edge portion of the other of said parts, the obtuse angles being formed at op.- posite longitudinal sides of the bar and the obtuse angle formed by the longitudinal side of the bar farthest from said element being formed at the end portion of the bar nearest to said element, and means to hold the anchor in engagement with the rail, the parts being so relatively arranged that when the rail creeps it will engage the bar with said element and tend to move it from its diagonal position toward a position normal to the length of the rail and thereby cause the said edge portions of said rail engaging parts to bind against and grip the respective sides of therail.

3. The combination-with a railroad rail anda stationary element of a road bed supporting the same, of a rail anchor comprising a fiat bar extending horizontally and diagonally beneath the rail base with one end portion of the bar nearer to said element than the other end portion thereof and having its end portions bent flatwise and ex tended upwardly and forming rail engaging parts, each longitudinal side of the bar forming an obtuse angle with the edge portion of one of said parts and an acute angle with the edge portion of the other of said parts, the obtuse angles being formed at opposite longitudinal sides ofthe bar and the obtuse angle formed by the longitudinal side of the bar farthest from said element being formed at the end portion of, the bar nearest to said element, and means to hold the anchor in engagement with the rail, the parts being so relatlvely arranged that when the rail creeps it Wlll engage the bar with said element and tend to move it from its diagonal position toward a position normal to the length of the rail and thereby cause the said edge portions of said rail engaging parts to grip the respective sides of the rail. I

4. The combination with a railroad rail and a stationary element of a road bed supporting the same,- of a rail anchor comprising a bar extending horizontally and diagonally beneath the rail base with one end portion of the bar nearer-to said element than the other end portion thereof, a part projecting upwardly from the end portion of the bar farthest from said element and havinga bearing rising from the 'longitusaid element and adapted to engage the op posite side of the rail base; and a yielding part adapted to bear upon the top oli' the rail base and hold the anchor in engagement with the rail, the parts being so relatively arranged that when the rail creeps it will engage the bar with said element and tend to move it from its diagonal position toward a position normal to the length of the rail and thereby cause said hearings to bind against and grip the respective sides or the rail.

5. A rail anchor comprising a bar adapted to extend horizontally beneath a rail base and having its end portions bent and pro viding upwardly projecting rail base engag ing parts, each longitudinal side of the bar forming an obtuse angle with one of said parts and an acute angle with the other of said parts, the ed e portions of said parts forming the obtuse angles being adapted to bind against and grip the respective sides of a rail base when the anchor is applied to a rail with the bar extending diagonally beneath the base thereof and subsequently moved from such position toward a position normal to the length of the rail, the upper portion of one of said parts being bent inwardly and forming a yielding arm adapted to bear upon the top of a rail base and press the bar up against the bottom of the rail base and hold the anchor in place ther on.

(3. A rail anchor comprising a flat bar adapted to extend horizontally beneath a rail base and having en'd'portions bent flatwise and providingupwardly projecting rail basecngaging parts; each longitudinal side of the bar forming an obtuse angle with one of said parts and an acute angle with the other of said parts; the edge portions of said parts forming the V obtuse angles being adapted to bind against and grip'the respec tive sides of a rail base when the anchor is applied to a rail with the bar extending diagonally beneath the base thereof and subsequently moved from such position toward a position normal to the length of the rail, the upper portion of one of said parts being bent flatwise and forming an inwardly extending, yielding arm adapted to bear fiatwise upon the top of a rail base and press the bar up against the bottom of the rail base and hold the anchor in place thereon.

7. A rail anchor comprising a bar adapted to extendhorizontally beneath a rail base and having its end portions bent and proiding upwardly projecting rail base engagingpails each longitndinalside of the bar forming an obtuse angle with one of said parts and an acute angle with the other of said parts,the edge portions of said parts forming the obtuse angles being adaptedto bind against and grip the respective sides of a rail base when the anchor is applied to a rail with the bar extending diagonally beneath the base thereof and subsequently moved from such position toward a position normal to the length of the rail the upper portion olf one of said parts being bent inwardly and forming a yielding arm tapering toward its free end and adapted to bear upon the top oi: a rail base and press the bar up against the bottom of the same and hold the anchor in place thereon.

S. A rail anchor comprising a bar adapted to extend horizontally benea h a rail base and having its end portions bent and providing upwardlyprojecting rail base engag ing parts v each longitudinal side of the bar forming an obtuse angle with one of said parts and an acute angle with the other of said parts, the ec ge portions of said parts forming the obtuse angles being adapted to bind against and grip the respective sides of a rail base when the anchor is applied to a rail with the bar extending diagonally beneath the base thereof and subsequently n' ovcd from such position toward a position normal to the length of the rail, the upper portion or" one of said parts being bent inwardly and forming a yielding arni which extends laterally beyond a position directly over the bar and which is adapted to bear upon the top of a rail base and press the bar up against the bottom of the same and hold the anchor in place thereon.

9. A rail anchor comprising a bar adapted to extend horizontally beneath a rail base and having its end portions bent and providing upwardly projecting rail base engag ing parts each longitudinal side of the bar forming an obtuse angle with one of said parts and an acute angle with the other of said parts, the edge portions of said parts forming the obtuse angles being adapted to bind against and grip the respective sides oi a rail base when the anchor is applied to a rail with the bar extending d oiially beneath the base thereoi and subso uently moved from such position toward a' position normal to the length ot the rail, the upper portion ot one of said parts being bent inwardly and forming a yielding arni tapering toward its free end and er: aiding laterally beyond a position" directly over the bar and being adapted to bear upon the top of a rail base and press the bar up against the same and hold the anchor in place thereon. a

10. A rail anchor c oinprising'abar adapted to extend horizontally beneath a rail base and provided on the respective endsthereot' with upwardly projecting parts adapted to occupy positions adjacent to the respective sides oi a rail base when the anchor is applied thereto, the upper end portion 0t one or said parts having an arm eatendinginwardly therefrom and tapering toward its free end and being adapted to bear upon the top of a railbase and press the bar up against the bottom of the same during and after the application of the anchor thereto, 7

and the top of the other of said parts being adapted to engage the bottom of the rail base and thereby cause said arm to be sprung upwardly from. the bar during the application of the anchor to the rail.

11. A rail anchor comprising a bar adapted to extend horizontally beneath a rail base and provided on the respective ends thereof with upwardly projecting parts adapted to occupy positions adjacent to the respective sides of a rail base when the anchor is applied thereto, the upper end portion of one of said parts having an arm extending inwardlytherefrom and tapering toward its free end and extending laterally beyond a position directly over the bar and being adapted to bear upon the top of a rail base and press the bar up against the bottom of the same during and after the application of the anchor thereto, and the top of the other of said parts being adapted to engage the bottom of the rail base and thereby cause said arm to be sprung upwardly from the bar during the application of the anchor to the rail.

12. The combination with a railroad cross-tie, a tie-plate thereon, a rail having a base supported upon the tie-plate, and means to prevent the tie-plate from moving longitudinally of he rail, of a rail anchor located above the cross-tie and extending between it and the rail base in close relation to the tie-plate and provided with means 13. The combination with a railroad crosstie, a tie-plate thereon, a rail having a base supported upon the tie-plate, and means to prevent the tie-plate from moving longitudinally of the rail, of a rail anchor comprising a fiat bar having parts on the respective end portions thereof gripping the sides of the rail base, said bar being located above the cross-tie and extending between it and the rail base in close relation to the tie-plate with the broad surfaces of the bar substantially in horizontal position, said tie-plate serving as an abutment to be engaged by the anchor to prevent the rail from creeping.

14. The combination with a railroad crosstie, a tieplate thereon, a rail having a base supported upon the tie-plate, and means to prevent the tie-plate from moving longitudinally of the rail, of a rail anchor comprising a flat bar having parts on the respective end portions thereof gripping the sides of the rail base, said bar being located above the cross-tie with the broad surfaces thereof substantially in horizontal position, and said bar extending diagonally beneath the rail base between it and the cross-tie and having one of its end portions in close relation to the tie-plate and the other of its end portions spaced therefrom, said tie-plate serving as an abutment to be engaged by the adjacent end portion of the bar to prevent the rail from creeping, and said parts increasing their grip against the rail base when the engagement of the bar with the tie-plate tends to move the bar from its diagonal po-' sition toward a position normal to the length of the rail.

DAVID r. VAUGHAN. 

